Paula is a Senior Lecturer at the QUT Business School and a Chief Investigator for the QUT Centre for the Digital Economy and QUT Centre for Future Enterprise. In these roles, Paula is researching deviant behaviour (e.g., non-compliance, fraud, stealing, rule violations) and finding ways to design it out through human, system, or policy interventions, or find ways to encourage positive deviance when it leads to greater economic or social benefits. Her research focuses on providing businesses and policymakers with evidence-based solutions to real world problems. Paula’s extensive research engagement experience saw her obtain a number of awards.

• 2020 Emergency Media and Public Affairs (EMPA) Australia Award for Excellence in Emergency Communication, Research Category: Winner for Addressing Conflicting Cues During Natural Hazards: Lessons from emergency agencies
• 2019 Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award – Leadership Excellence
• 2019 Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Association’s premier award, the Excellence in Innovation Award
• 2019 Emergency Media and Public Affairs (EMPA) Australia Award for Excellence in Emergency Communication, Research Category: Highly Commended for Conflicting Cues in Emergency Warnings
• 2018 Emergency Media and Public Affairs (EMPA) Australia Award for Excellence in Emergency Communication, Research Category: Highly Commended for Communications and Warnings for Natural Disasters
• 2017 Vice-Chancellor’s Performance Award for Research Impact
• 2017 Named one of Australia’s Top Thinkers in the 2017 Conversation Yearbook
• 2016 Outstanding Achievement in Research Collaboration Award, International Science Advisory Panel and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, for delivering significant value towards improving the Emergency Management sector’s ability to communicate with the public during natural disasters; outstanding engagement with end-users; building a tremendous foundation for ensuring that this important research influences future practice; and the excellence of the project and its worthiness for ongoing support.
• 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Performance Award for Research Impact

In 2019, Paula joined the World Health Organisation Thematic Platform for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Research Network) for her work with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. To date, Paula has brought in approx. $2.5 million in funding and is published in outlets such as the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Consumer Marketing, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Journalism Practice, and UNSW Law Journal.

Paula was awarded a PhD from QUT with studies on why everyday consumers engage in deviant consumer behaviour. Paula also holds a Bachelor of Business (Honours) degree, where she was awarded a QUT Medal for academic excellence, and a Bachelor of Business degree from QUT.